77: 𝙱𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐
A/N: this was two chapters mixed into one... You're welcome
The rock flew hard and fast.
But the girl who followed it was faster.
Before Stain knew someone else had entered the alleyway he was hit on the side of the head. The bash was followed by a quick sword wielding teenage girl wearing a hoodie and shorts. She swung and he pulled the sword out of Iida's shoulder. Blocking her and jumping back.
"Iida?! Iida are you okay?!" Nova yelled in panic, standing between the hero killer and his prey. Her swords faced towards him, but they shook in Nova's trembling hands. She wanted to check on her classmate, but couldn't let the hero killer out of her sight.
"Another one..." The villain whispered under his breath, his voice gravelly in a way that made Nova's skin crawl.
"Iida... Please..." She whispered, tears building in her eyes. If he was dead... It was all her fault. She could have saved him but wasted precious time calling for backup and gathering weapons.
"K... Kura...Kurayami?" Iida's voice was weak, he seemed to be struggling to speak. But he was still able to talk...
He was alive.
"No... No get out of here..." He whispered, grunting as he tried to move limbs that were numb to him. He wondered if this is how his brother would feel all the time now... After his own injuries.
"I... I can't..." Nova whispered back. Stain was standing across from her, pulling another sword from his belt.
Nova's fingers twitched. If she had her quirk this fight would be easy. The man was covered in metal, she could completely disarm him in seconds and capture him.
But even the attempt to activate it made all the previous pain flare up. She couldn't move any metal in her condition even if she wanted to, she couldn't even make her own swords vibrate as she was holding them. Except with her trembling of course.
"I know you... Daughter of Rikko Kurayami... Tell me... What exactly set you on this path?" Stain asked, the tips of his sword scraping the ground.
Nova swallowed thickly, as much as his voice unnerved her... Him talking was better than him attacking. Maybe if she kept him occupied for long enough someone would show up to rescue them.
"W-what do you mean?" Nova asked, thought she figured he meant her being a hero. While she wasn't quite sure why stain killed heroes, the rumor was that he slayed those unworthy of the title....
Heroes that weren't perfect.
"Becoming a hero to save yourself from a family name... You don't wish for the world to get better, only your own life. Just as your mentor... Zel. A false hero, one you mirror..." Stain whispered, Nova's head spun. She didn't know what to do, she wanted to argue with him but she could only think of how Iida was losing so much blood behind her.
"So therefore I deserve to die?" Nova asked nervously.
"You're not the one that I intend to kill tonight... But you are interfering, and I'd feel no guilt in cutting you to pieces." He replied.
"Just leave us alone..." Nova whispered. "I already gave the police our location, they could be here soon."
"So you're a coward as well... Well if what you say is true... I'll have to make your deaths quick."
Nova could barely react before he jumped, charging her with insane speed. Nova still didn't know what his quirk was, did it have something to do with speed or strength? If so she was a goner... But he didn't feel inhumanly strong during their brief exchange of blows earlier.
He could have any power... Meanwhile Nova was practically quirkless. Although she could still sense metal, meaning she could feel his movements.
He swung and she guarded herself with her own blade, catching the blow. It was so hard and fast that sparks flew from their weapons. She yelped but countered with her second blade, forcing him to avoid the blow.
"I haven't fought against someone with blades in a long time... Tell me, where is your quirk?" He asked, but he didn't stop fighting. Nova grunted with effort. He was superior in strength and stature. Nova was certain the only thing keeping her alive right now was adrenaline and pain killers
"NOVA RUN!!" Iida suddenly yelled, reminding her of his presence.
Nova stalled. Iida for the first time ever... Used her first name. He had always used Kurayami, since he found out it was hers. But now he called her Nova... Why? Because she was helping him? Because he wanted to get her attention? To make her leave?
Nova glanced back at him, eyes wide. He was staring up at her in horror, he was... Worried for her. He didn't even care that she was a Kurayami. He was afraid of her getting hurt because of him... Begging her to leave...
It made her want to stay.
Stain attacked again and Nova blocked, but his attacked were quick and persistent. Nova blocked one only to be immediately met with another. Then another. He was too fast and Nova could barely keep up.
She blocked an attack before almost falling over, kicking his legs as a last attempt to get him off.
"Why won't you listen to him? This is no place for a child and yet you insist on facing me." Stain growled, gripping her sleeve when she was in reach. Letting go of his smaller blade.
"HE'S a child too!" Nova pleaded.
"He's a murderer, seeking after blood. That makes him a man and as far from a hero as possible." Stain threw her to the side, causing her to drop a sword.
"Who says you get to decide what a hero is or not? If he deserves to die for seeking revenge then a murderer like you deserves hell." Nova argued, Stain seemed to be ignoring her. Stalking towards Iida again.
"There's only one hero I'll allow to send me to such a place... The only true hero in this decrepit society... All Might..." Stain whispered.
Nova scrambled forward with her single remaining weapon. Slicing it through the air towards him and blocking his path.
"All Might? C-can't say I'm a huge fan..." She admitted. Who would have thought the hero killer admired All Might so much, frankly it didn't make sense. Wouldn't he hate him the most? Because of all the attention and fame he gained?
"I'm not interested in killing you... You've proved enough for me to spare your life. But I'll have to keep you from protecting your demented friend..." Stain swung his sword and Nova felt it slice through her sleeve. She pushed it away with her own, feeling only a tiny sting. She glanced down, it was only a shallow cut...
Barely bleeding.
She jumped back, her feet at Iida's. She expected another attack from stain, but instead he stood at a distance. Slowly bringing his blade to his lips. Nova tensed, prepared for an attack...
Until her licked it, gathering the tiny amount of her blood from the blade onto his tongue...
Her body tightened, and suddenly she couldn't feel anything.
Stain's quirk...
Blood curdle; after ingesting the blood of his victims they'll experience full body paralysis. The time they are affected is different depending on their blood type.
Nova immediately crumbled to the ground, she found herself on her back. She was laying right beside Iida, who was on his chest with his face against the concrete. Nova's eyes were wide as she frantically tried to move, but couldn't.
She grunted, tears spilling down her cheeks. The most she could do was move her lips... Just enough for them to tremble. Even the tips of her fingers were numb, it felt as though there was a huge weight on her chest. She couldn't feel anything, she couldn't tell if she was even breathing or not. "N-no..." She choked out.
She had assumed Iida couldn't get up because he was too injured. Now she realized... He was paralyzed, just like she was now.
Now she couldn't defend him, she ended up being completely useless after all. They could both die... Just like that hero slumped over in the corner. Though Nova didn't have the time to check, she could tell he was dead. His skin that looked like it was meant to be tan was pale. And he was covered in blood.
But she couldn't see him now... Or Iida who was forced in his position to stare at her. She could only see the buildings stretching up above her... And the stars just above them... Struggling to twinkle through the pollution of the earth's unnatural lights. They seemed to be a dying flicker, just as Nova was at this moment.
"I'll leave you... But be warned, there's a villain out there who's searching to kill you." Stain said, he was standing over Iida now. From her vantage point she could barely see him. What she could see was a giant black shadow, covered in blades and scarfs, eyes that were a red that almost seemed to glow.
A villain seeking to kill her? Honestly who wasn't seeking to kill her at this point? She wasn't very popular.
"He also wants your hands."
Oh Shigaraki... Nova had almost forgotten about him, about how she cut off his hand to save Aizawa. Of course he still wanted her dead, but that was the least of her problems right now.
Nova grunted and almost choked as she tried to move. Just a little. Anything. Even just a finger, although that wouldn't be very helpful to Iida. He was the one in real danger, not her. He was right next to her and she couldn't do anything to save him.
He stared forward, unable to even turn his head to look at his attacker. His neck paralyzed, his face towards Nova. Nova who was looking at the sky. Tears falling down her cheeks, sliver in the starlight. She was crying...
Because of him.
He brought her here, even though he never could have imagined this turn of events. He never could have expected Nova Kurayami to swoop in and give her all to protect him. How could he have known?
He came here set on revenge. But the moment he started fighting he realized he couldn't get it, not only because stain was so much stronger than him... But also because of the fact that....
He couldn't kill someone.
Sure he thought about it, blinded by the thoughts of revenge. Blinded by fantasy rather than looking at the reality. But when he saw Stain, his anger didn't waiver... His resolve to kill him did.
And now here he was, going to die. And Kurayami was going to have to watch.
Nova closed her eyes, tears made her eyes burn. She couldn't wipe them off, she could hardly blink them away. They pooled up in her eyes and slowly dropped down her cheeks.
Stain raised his sword over Iida's back.
Nova wished he'd never lower it.
Iida closed his eyes and then opened them again. Watching her, knowing what was about to happen to them. Knowing it was his fault.
Nova wished he didn't have to suffer through this. That he didn't have to die.
"I will purge this world of every false hero. I will end this corrupt society and bring about a new era. One with true heroes." Stain said, holding his sword up.
Nova wished he would die.
It came down.
Slipping from his fingers and clattering to the ground. He stumbled, backing away from Iida. Blood ran down his chest...
A sword was sticking out of his heart.
The very down one he had dropped earlier when fighting Nova. It now found itself buried in his chest, straight through his heart.
It has happened before he could even react. The blade had... Moved in its own. Lifted up at the same moment Nova wished for him to die.
And so he did.
Crumbling to the ground at Iida's feet. Iida who couldn't see, but knew what happened.
Because he saw Nova's face.
Because he heard her screams.
It was a sound of twisted agony. Not of pain but of sorrow. Although Nova hadn't lifted a finger, she knew what had happened.
She killed him.
She killed him.
Iida didn't think he had ever heard someone sob before. But this wasn't a sob... This was a wail. The sound of a truly tortured spirit. Nova was practically screaming, her face twisted in horror and pain.
She killed him.
She was a monster. She has actually killed a man. She stabbed him through the heart with her quirk. No, no, no this couldn't be happening. She just wanted to help, she just wanted to save Iida. She just wanted to protect him. She didn't mean for this to happen, she didn't mean for him to die.
She was a murderer. She killed him, she murdered a man. She was evil.
She was everything she had been trying so desperately to avoid becoming.
"Nova... Nova..." Iida whispered. His arm shifted, just slightly. His paralysis was wearing off. Was it because Stain was dead? But Nova wasn't moving.
His shoulder hurts in a way he had never felt before. He had never experienced pain like this, but it felt numb compared to what he knew his classmate was feeling.
Nova let out a loud sob. Then a choke.
Iida grunted, trying to move closer.
Nova choked and sobbed, she almost seemed to be choking on her own saliva. She was having a complete meltdown, and she couldn't even turn over.
"Nova..."
She coughed, eyes wide and suddenly she wasn't breathing.
"Nova..." Iida whispered again, dragging himself closer. He could barely move. He definitely couldn't move his injured arm. He pushed her shoulder with his good one. Turning her over onto her side. Laying her on her shoulder with her back facing him. She coughed again, but quit choking. Her shoulders seemed to shake, just slightly as she continued crying again. Sobbing pathetically.
"I... I'm sorry..." She sobbed. "I just... Wanted to help..."
Iida pulled closer, throwing his good arm over her. Holding her a little closer, protectively.
"Thank you... Nova..."
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